Park Slope is Getting a New Kids’ Consignment Shop
Molly Patrick Epstein, Founder and CEO of Owl Tree Kids, talks about opening a kids' and maternity consignment shop on Flatbush Avenue!
Now that my three-year-old has her own (strong) opinions about clothes, I’m faced with a realization familiar to many parents of toddlers: I have very little say in what she wears now. This isn’t a complaint — unless we’re running late and she refuses to change out of the Spider-Man PJs she’s been wearing for a week — because it brings me a lot of joy to watch her build an outfit she’s proud of and feels confident wearing. Some days that’s two skirts under a dress or a denim jacket over an old Yoda Halloween costume or three T-shirts under suspender rain pants.
Every few months, she receives a box or two of hand-me-downs from family and friends. She loves to sift through new-to-her pieces almost as much as I love to use pre-owned items to slash the environmental impact of all the stuff we buy — not to mention the significant savings, especially considering how fast kids grow out of everything.
I’m not alone in dressing my child in secondhand clothing, especially in Park Slope. The famed Park Slope Parents Kids Clothing, Gear, and Maternity Swap is rumored to sell out in minutes every year (check out this time lapse of the event in 2020). But as an enthusiastic shopper of secondhand and vintage, I’ve noticed a lack of brick-and-mortar stores in the area that carry kids’ clothing and gear. In fact, there isn’t one specifically dedicated to kids in Park Slope.
But that’s about to change. “Park Slope was the obvious answer. The values are there of caring about the environment and living a life of sustainability. The population density of families is there. It's a neighborhood that already has this tremendous history of community. And so, it felt really natural,” Molly Patrick Epstein, Founder and CEO of the kids’ and maternity consignment shop Owl Tree Kids, told me when we chatted on the phone this week. “It's quite likely that we'll be soft opening in September.”
If Owl Tree Kids sounds familiar it’s probably because you’ve heard of the one in Carroll Gardens — which won the 2024 Best Children’s Clothing Store in Brooklyn — or because you know about its thriving online business. Molly opened the Carroll Gardens location in 2019 following her departure from the corporate world. After long stints at fashion powerhouses like Gap, J.Crew, and Coach, she wanted to get back to doing the work and taking the risks, while also feeling like her work was impactful.
“I had really become addicted to buying secondhand for myself, and then when I had my kids, I couldn't believe there wasn't a great place for kids. It was all kind of hodgepodge, hard to find. There was this terrific white space in the market to do secondhand kids better than anyone had done it before,” she told me.
Molly spent over a year looking for the right location for her Park Slope expansion. She lost two bids before signing the lease at 350 Flatbush Avenue, and even after touring that space, which checked all the right boxes, she hesitated. “Flatbush is not a typically family-feeling shopping destination,” she said.
So, she turned to the 11,300 members of Park Slope Moms, a private Facebook Group for local moms to connect and share. Molly asked members for their thoughts on opening a store on Flatbush, right next to Union Market. “It felt important to start engaging people before we opened on where it should be. I wanted to make sure that there were enough people who felt like Flatbush would be a location that they would like.”
The outpouring of support and positive comments on her post gave Molly the “comfort level to pull the trigger.” She also said there’s a lot of interest in Flathbush right now from retailers who want to “rehabilitate it, to make it feel different.” She’s hoping to be part of that transformation.
The glam-up, as Molly called it, is underway. The space is getting a fresh coat of paint and a new floor. Molly is also focused on creating a space that feels “cooler and more approachable” to savvy tween and teen consumers, especially since there are several high schools close by.
Similar to the Carroll Gardens shop, the new Park Slope shop will have appointments for consignors to drop off items to sell. You’ll be able to book an appointment online. Owl Tree accepts items on a seasonal basis, so from July through December they accept fall and winter pieces, and from January through June they accept spring and summer. Molly emphasized that they’re not “brand snobs,” and you can consign secondhand items from brands like “Zara, Cat and Jack [Target], and even Old Navy…all the way up through very high-end design.”
Two categories that people may not realize Owl Tree carries are Halloween costumes and shoes, according to Molly. But she told me you can find great deals on lightly used shoes for kids and a large selection of Halloween costumes each year.
While Owl Tree Kids has traditionally sold clothes and select accessories, Molly is excited to offer new categories to shoppers, including toys and hair accessories. They’ll also carry maternity wear, “a boutique line for the expecting mom.” Molly explained that maternity wear is an area of the market that's hard to find in person.
“I love the idea of having kids raised by Owl Tree, so a family that goes through every phase of life until they outgrow the children's market…we really try as hard as we can to meet every need for a parent who's dressing for kids head to toe.”
Thank you so much, Molly! I can’t wait to take my daughter to Owl Tree for a new-to-her Halloween costume — which she undoubtedly will want to pick out herself.
(PSP Clothing Swap photo by Liz Groeschen. Photo of kids in winter gear by Melissa Presti Photography. All other photos are courtesy of Molly Patrick Epstein via Owl Tree Kids Instagram.)
Brooklyn Children’s Museum gets $15 million for garden renovation: The updated outdoor space will include 20,000 square feet for exhibits, events, and gatherings. The funds are from the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and Brooklyn Borough President’s office, according to BCM.
Green-Wood Cemetery to get 1,500 new trees with $498,035 grant: The Urban and Community Forestry Grant is from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and it’s expected to enable the cemetery to increase its tree canopy by 35 percent.
Heads up dog owners: Local veterinarians are reporting an increase in cases where dogs ingest cannabis products. Some vets say Prospect Park is a hot spot for discarded cannabis products and to keep an eye on what your pup picks up.
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Thank you so much for reading! Hope you have a good weekend. We’re hanging with friends and maybe checking out the Summer Streets on Eastern Parkway tomorrow. Coming up next Friday is a fun issue with a fantasy sports twist. If you know someone who plays a fantasy sport, please forward this email to them so they can sign up and get the newsletter next week. Have a good one!
Kelley xo
Can’t wait to shop here!
Big shout out to Kelley and to Owl Tree! Thank you Kelley for bringing attention to Owl Tree and for your awareness of the importance of reducing fiber waste.